My Chef’sChoice, model 615, slicer arrived and will replace my vintage Rival. Hated giving up the old Rival but couldn't find replacement parts. The new machine cost was about $150.00 and had very good reviews. It has only a 7” serrated blade, but big enough for my needs. I tested it on a roast beef I recently cooked and was able to slice paper thin to 1/2” thickness cuts without a problem. It will cut up to 3/4”, about. Then hard block cheese same results. Same results with a bagel and pickles. Couldn’t if anything else to slice. I was quite impressed. The blade spins very slowly, which was a concern, but not anymore. The meat carriage will hold a piece of meat 9.5” wide. That would be touching the very tip of the blade. All the items were from the refrigerator nothing was frozen or semi-frozen. That test is still to come. And I will have plenty to test.

Clean up was simple but if your are a fanatic about cleaning then this machine could be challenging. I would guess most slicers of this design would have the same issues. Nothing is dishwasher safe. The food carriage and food pusher are removable, very easy to clean. Everything else requires cleaning counter top. The one major problem cleaning spot is just under the food table slide where the blade cuts near the blade housing. The blade is protected by a molded plastic housing that sits behind the blade. There are two Philip head screws that secure that piece, which I attempted to remove, then stopped. Further investigation required. Food products will definitely get stuck behind this shield.

All in all I’m very pleased with the purchase. Time will tell about reliability. Thanks Odin